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Give Me ALL THE NOG with this Eggnog Espresso Martini

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Last Updated on December 3, 2021 by Heather Wibbels

Eggnog Espresso Martini with cinnamon stick, fresh nutmeg and coffee beans in a tall martini glass
Eggnog Espresso Martini

A classic cocktail, the espresso martini is only improved with the addition of eggnog. While it means that glorious head of coffee foam doesn’t sit on top of the drink I think it’s a fair price to pay for the luscious blend of eggnog and coffee in a fancy cocktail glass. 

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What is an Espresso Martini in the first place?

That beautiful espresso martini! In its classic presentation a dark black block with a creamy foam head on top, usually garnished with a few espresso beans. In the classic espresso martini we work with four main elements, espresso, coffee liqueur, vodka and simple syrup. It’s designed to wake you up as a late night drink – with a little alcohol to make it very booze forward as well.

Invented in 1983 by Dick Bradselt at the Soho Brasserie in London, it was made for a customer who asked for a drink to “wake her up and **** her up.” It was a blend of fresh hot espresso, vodka (which was kind of the thing in the 80s) and a coffee liqueur. 

Eggnog in the Espresso Martini works like a charm

Eggnog Espresso Martini with cinnamon stick, fresh nutmeg and coffee beans in a tall martini glass
Eggnog Espresso Martini

You don’t have that gorgeous foam, but you’ve got a creamy cocktail easy to dress up with a fresh grated nutmeg and coffee beans. I originally wanted to make a hot eggnog latte, but the eggnog was overpowered by the heavy espresso aromas. 

But switching to cold brew concentrate, and using a healthy dose of eggnog solved that worry, keeping everything balanced. While it may be better made with fresh espresso, we don’t have an espresso machine at home. Since it’s just a fun riff on the classic espresso martini I didn’t feel too worried about this tweak in the classic recipe.

Flavors in the Eggnog Espresso Martini

To ensure you get a great dose of that eggnog flavor, make sure you use a great eggnog, not a light eggnog or sugar free eggnog. Using one of those will likely make the end product taste processed and artificial. I used Evan Williams eggnog since I still had a bottle in the fridge. However, when I made my official homemade eggnog next week I’ll be using that version.

In addition to the eggnog, I wanted to make sure the coffee flavors really popped so instead of using the traditional Kahlua I’ve used Patron XO Cafe – and vibrant, rich coffee liqueur I prefer far over Kahlua.

While you can opt for vodka, like the traditional, I tested with both rum and whiskey and both were great options. And finally I added in just a touch of amaretto to add a bit of that sweet nuttiness that I find in homemade eggnogs that doesn’t always make it through to a store-bought nog.

How to Make the Eggnog Espresso Martini

Eggnog Espresso Martini with cinnamon stick, fresh nutmeg and coffee beans in a tall martini glass
Eggnog Espresso Martini

Simple and easy to make, you’ll pour the ingredients over ice in a shaker, shake vigorously until chilled. Then strain into a chilled martini glass. While you could make fancy holiday patterns with an espresso powder on the top I opted for simplicity. I added a dash of freshly grated nutmeg and three espresso beans.

Variations I tried included substituting vodka and rum for the whiskey I chose to round out vanilla notes. Rum tasted better to me than vodka. But I sometimes spike my eggnog with either rum or whiskey – so my expected flavor profile for anything with eggnog includes those flavors.

Other Holiday Cocktails You Should Try:

  1. Hot N Buttered
  2. Caramel Turtle Alexander
  3. Salted Caramel Orange Hot Chocolate
  4. Gingerbread Martini
  5. Peppermint Chocolate Old Fashioned

Recommended Bar Tools

You don’t need every slick, beautiful bar tool out there, but there are several I’ll recommend. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, that does not affect the cost of the items below.) My favorite pieces usually come from the Cocktail Kingdom section of Amazon:

You may already have these bar essentials, but just in case:

Eggnog Espresso Martini with cinnamon stick, fresh nutmeg and coffee beans in a tall martini glass
Eggnog Espresso Martini

Eggnog Espresso Martini

Picture of Heather Wibbels, Cocktail Contessa, pouring a cocktailHeather Wibbels
Leave your December cares behind with this eggnog espresso martini featuring eggnog, cold brew, coffee liqueur, amaretto, and the base spirit of your choice. I loved whiskey and rum since I spike my eggnog with those flavors anyway.
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Course Drinks
Cuisine Dessert Cocktail
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 2 oz eggnog
  • ½ oz coffee liqueur I used Patron XO Cafe
  • ½ oz cold brew concentrate
  • ½ oz rye whiskey
  • ¼ oz amaretto
  • Fresh grated nutmeg
  • Garnish: fresh grated nutmeg coffee beans

Instructions
 

  • Combine eggnog, coffee liqueur, cold brew concentrate, whiskey, amaretto and a bit of fresh grated nutmeg in a shaking tin and add ice. Shake for 10-12 seconds, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with more fresh nutmeg and coffee beans.
Keyword coffee, eggnog, espresso, espresso martini, nutmeg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

By on December 15th, 2020
Picture of Heather Wibbels, Cocktail Contessa, pouring a cocktail

About Heather Wibbels

Heather Wibbels is a whiskey and cocktail author (Executive Bourbon Steward, no less) with a passion for cocktails. She loves researching and designing cocktails, drinking cocktails, and teaching cocktails. Mostly whiskey cocktails, given her Kentucky location.

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